As travel advisors celebrate all their many attributes this week, it’s encouraging to hear that, in many cases, consumers feel that way too. At least, according to TL Network, which reports that it is seeing light at the end of the pandemic tunnel, especially as vaccinations ramp up amongst consumers.

“Despite that we’re still under all these travel restrictions, I’m very pleased that most of our members and their clients are remaining very optimistic,” said TL Network VP Christine James during a recent press briefing, noting that more than a third of Canadians have been vaccinated (with at least one dose).

James reports that a recent survey of 6,000 clients by a TL Network member suggested that more 60% of them were eager to book a trip as soon as they were vaccinated.

In other cases, clients are “reaching out” to members to book, she says, revealing that while bookings are at about 30% of 2019 levels for this year, 2022 levels are already on par and in some cases – such as cruising – even ahead.

Other trends include groups/extended families and clients leaning towards luxury or opting for upgrades. “If people are going to go, they’re going to go all out,” she says.

James also states that TL Network Canada is already seeing strong interest from members in a series of events planned for the fall, including annual regionals in Toronto, Vancouver, and Edmonton, 14 “mixers” in other cities, and Travel Leaders Group’s international Edge conference, which was postponed in 2020, but is scheduled to take place Oct. 18-21 in Orlando.

Meanwhile, Lindsay Pearlman, Sr. VP International Travel for Travel Leaders Network, reports that 16 new agencies have joined TL Network in Canada this year, a positive development he says reflects the organization’s tireless efforts during the pandemic to continue to develop and prepare for the return to travel.

“We haven’t paused the business, we’ve used the time to prepare the business,” he says, adding, “We know that what agencies are looking for coming out of this mayhem will be different than what they were looking for in 2019. Consumer behaviour is looking different, what supplier partners are going to require is going to look different, education and training is going to look different, so (many agencies) are being proactive and doing their due diligence…

“And what we’re seeing is that seeing is that those agencies that have prepared are recovering very, very, quickly, and those that are kind of standing by to see what happens are kind of getting run over. The guys that are preparing are already hiring staff, and you’re seeing that in the sales curve. The old adage that the early bird gets the worm is very appropriate in this market.

“There is significant opportunity out there. This industry went to flatline and everybody got put on the same playing field and it’s those that are prepared coming out of it that are doing exceptionally well.”

For his part, Travel Leaders Group president John Lovell is particularly encouraged that cruising seems poised to return in the US around mid summer after enduring a no-sail order for over a year.

“It’s been a tough road for everybody… who would have thought a year ago that we would be talking about this?” he says.

But Lovell is optimistic about the future and specifically the next six months. “I don’t think all is lost,” he says. “I think the industry itself is going to come back a little bit sooner than people anticipate… I think vaccinations and contract tracing and so forth is really going to help us get to where we need to be.”

That includes the status of travel advisors, who he believes will be in “a very unique position” as consumers increasingly seek in-depth advice and affirmation when choosing and booking their travel.

TL Network president Roger Block agrees, pointing to surveys conducted by the organization that, while noting that consumers are still really concerned about their health and wellbeing – especially when they’re travelling – also indicated that they “believe a trusted travel advisor can lessen their risk.”

Indeed, TLN survey data says that almost half of consumers (49%) are more likely to use a travel agent than before, while a third (33%) said they would use one about the same.

All of which bodes well for Block’s belief that “people who have the vaccine –they are ready to travel!

“We’re seeing in the US, and we know we’re going to see when Canada opens up, a boom of travel,” he says. “People are going to the places that are open as never before.”

The biggest concern currently, Block says, is lack of product as destinations and suppliers emerge from the COVID-19 crisis. “People want to go to Europe, they want to go on river cruises, Med cruises, Alaska cruises… Where people used to dream for years of bucket list destinations, now they’re doing it. They want to go – once they have that vaccination, they feel ready.”

And that, he says, is great news. At last, he adds, “We’re really starting to see us coming out of this very dark place.”